POLLINATION IN AUSTRALIAN ORCHIDS - A CRITICAL-ASSESSMENT OF THE LITERATURE 1882-1992

A century of pollination studies of Australian orchids is reviewed. De scriptions of pollination events and conclusions about pollination sta tus are inadequate in many reports. In this review criteria for establ ishing 'confirmed', 'probable' and 'suggested' pollinator status are d efined and recommended. When applied to 153 published pollination repo rts there are 24 terrestrial species with 'confirmed' pollinators and a further 47 species with 'probable' pollinators. The major syndromes confirmed are wasp pollination by pseudocopulation (15 species) and th e bee pollination syndrome of food mimicry (5 species). Nectar and pol len reward systems operate in a small number of species. Eleven epiphy tic species have 'confirmed' pollinators, and four have 'probable' pol linators. Thirteen of the fourteen confirmed reports of epiphyte polli nation describe social or solitary bees, mainly of the genus Trigona, apparently attracted by floral display and intense fragrance, which ma y constitute a chemical reward system. Dendrobium is the main epiphyti c genus with confirmed pollinators.